


catnip

by clicheusername5678



Series: Catradora Oneshots [5]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Genre: Angst, Cuddling, Drug Abuse, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 03:16:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16694395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clicheusername5678/pseuds/clicheusername5678
Summary: Catra gets her hands on catnip. Adora has to keep her out of trouble until it wears off.





	catnip

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Catnip](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17913572) by [LightDark01](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightDark01/pseuds/LightDark01)



Adora had just wanted to stretch after her nightly shower. Training had been ridiculously stressful today—Shadow Weaver herself had been in attendance, reporting presumably to Hordak. So Adora had gone hard… perhaps too hard, she reflected, as she flexed her leg on her bed, her muscles aching.

“Heyyyyyyyy Adora,” said a voice from behind her back, somehow lacking its usual snarky resonance. Adora raised an eyebrow and turned to face Catra, who leaned against the bunk bed’s post, arms crossed over her chest.

“Where were you today?” Adora demanded, her face turning red. “Shadow Weaver was observing!”

If this surprised Catra, her face didn’t show it. Instead, she just smirked, flashing a sarcastic peace sign.

“Was a ‘lil busy today, Dora,” she said, leaning harder against the post. She then stumbled and started to giggle.

Adora scowled. Catra never giggled. Something was definitely wrong.

“What were you doing?” Adora asked, her muscles sore as she stood. She wrapped her arm around Catra’s waist and the other girl instantly leaned into her, as though by instinct. Adora brought them down, together, so they both sat on the bed’s edge.

Catra smiled serenely and fell into Adora’s lap. Adora, although surprised by this, certainly wasn’t opposed. She began to stroke Catra’s nest of hair as she continued her interrogation.

“Catra, seriously. What’s going on?”

Catra sighed and nuzzled closer. “You’re gonna be mad.”

“Maybe,” Adora said fairly.

Catra groaned and lifted her head, her heterochromatic eyes wide. “I got catnip,” she admitted.

“What?!” Adora exclaimed, pushing Catra off, perhaps a little too hard. “How—who—why—”

Catra rubbed her head and supported her own weight. “I was nervous, last night, about Shadow Weaver’s observation. So I talked to this guy in Unit B and traded him yesterday’s rations for a baggie…”

“Catra!” Adora scolded. “You need that food to stay strong! And you missed the observation anyway!”

“I  _know_ ,” Catra said, stretching her arms out in front of her. Suddenly, she became very interested in her own hands. “The whole day’s been kind of a blur, to be honest.”

“How much did you  _take_?”

“The whole baggie,” Catra said. “What, did you want some?”

“NO!” Adora shouted, perhaps a little too loud. Other cadets were beginning to file in for bedtime, also having showered after the simulation. Catra shushed Adora sarcastically, falling on her back onto the bed. Adora sighed and joined her, turning her head so she could face Catra.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Adora said. “You could have told me you were nervous.”

“ _Pshhhh_. I don’t care about anything.”

“Sure, Catra. Sure you don’t.”

Catra froze, as though she suddenly remembered something very important. Her eyes wide again, she brought her hands to Adora’s face, gently caressing one cheek.

“Oh, wait,” Catra said. “I care about you, Adora. Adorable Adora.”

Adora rolled her eyes, but yet again did not pull away. “You’re high.”

“High on luuuuurrrrrrrvvvvveee,” Catra purred, her face making its way to Adora’s neck, already planting small, intimate kisses there.

Adora blushed as the other girl pressed up against her. A sober Catra would never do this at any time but the dead of night, when the others were asleep—there was something so exciting about debauchery so early in the evening.

But, still. Something bothered her.

“Catra,” Adora said softly. Catra didn’t listen, instead using the tiniest bit of teeth to mark Adora’s flesh. Adora frown and moved away, only slightly. “ _Catra_.”

The other girl looked up, disappointed, like a child denied a toy. “Was I doing a bad job?”

Adora groaned. “No, that’s not—trust me, that’s not it. You’re…”

“Yeah,” Catra said, a naughty grin on her face. “I like it, too.”

“Listen,” Adora said, checking around the room for the other cadets, who for the most part seemed wrapped up in their own affairs. “We’re nineteen now. You can’t just be skipping out of exercises. Any day now, one of us could be promoted to Force Captain.”

“You mean  _you_ ,” Catra whined. “It’s gonna be you.”

Adora frowned. “You don’t mean that.”

Catra looked at her dryly, the most sober she’d been since she entered the barracks. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I do.”

Adora groaned. “Well, you’re definitely not gonna get it if you skip observations.”

Catra frowned, crossed her arms over her chest, and turned away from Adora. “Hmph,” she said as Adora tapped her shoulder. “Now you’ve made me sad. I feel unwelcome in my own bed.”

“This literally isn’t your bed.”

“Right,” Catra said stiffly, surprisingly affected. “Guess I’ll just go to mine.”

And with that, she climbed up to her rarely-occupied top mattress.

Adora frowned with confusion. Had she actually hurt Catra’s feelings? She did seem more emotional and vulnerable on the catnip…

Adora grunted with soreness as she hoisted herself onto the top bunk, where Catra laid on her side, facing away from her. Adora spooned the cat-girl and patiently waited for any response.

The twitching of her ear was a good sign. Adora pressed herself tight to Catra’s form and scratched just where she liked. After a few seconds, she was pleased to hear the involuntary purrs.

“Damn it, Adora,” Catra murmured. “You never come up here.”

“Well, to be fair,” Adora whispered in Catra’s ear, “neither do you.”

Catra smirked and relaxed. “I think I’m coming down. I feel all weak and weepy.”

“Shhh,” Adora said, pressing a chaste kiss to the crown of Catra’s head. “I’ve got you now.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.”

“Mm.”

“And Catra?” Adora said, pulling at the other girl’s body so she faced her. Catra blinked once, twice.

“Yeah?”

Adora kissed Catra deeply, biting her lip for a few seconds before letting go. “No more catnip, okay?”

“Y-yeah,” Catra shuddered. “For sure.”

“Because your breath fucking  _sucks_.”

Catra laughed, a full belly-laugh, and took Adora’s face in her hands. “You’re such a—”

“ADORA!”

Adora turned her head and froze; standing below the top bunk, dark forms in her wake, was Shadow Weaver herself. She felt Catra disappear below the covers behind her, her petite form undetectable.

Adora sat up and tried her best to act normal. “Shadow Weaver,” she breathed. “Can I… can I help you?”

“Have you seen Catra?” the red-masked woman demanded. Adora shook her head furiously.

“No, ma’am, I have not.”

Adora’s face turned white as she felt Catra shaking furiously against her. She reached her hand beneath the covers and met with Catra’s. She squeezed, hard.

“She wasn’t in training today,” Shadow Weaver said.

“Maybe she’s sick,” Adora postulated.

“Then why are you in her bed?”

Adora felt Catra breathe against her, so vulnerable and afraid. She knew that Shadow Weaver had a special penchant for abusing the scrappy cat-girl, ever since they were kids. Catra rarely ever opened up about it, but when she did… well, it was horrifying. It made Adora want to change things in the Horde, make them better. Teach Shadow Weaver more caring ways. She certainly didn’t loathe the woman who had raised her from infancy, but she wouldn’t call her feelings for Shadow Weaver love, either.

Her feelings for Catra, however…

“Fine,” Adora said, “you got me.”

She hopped off the bunk, Catra’s bumpy form still undetectable in the mess of covers.

“What are you talking about?” Shadow Weaver demanded as Adora stared at the ground in shame.

“I told Catra the wrong time for the observation,” Adora lied, “so she wouldn’t out-perform me.”

Shadow Weaver didn’t respond for a very long time. “And… why were you in her bed?”

Adora shrugged. “We’re having a prank war in the barracks. Lonnie sprayed my bed with stinky sap, and laundry day isn’t until next week.”

Shadow Weaver nodded, although she didn’t seem very convinced. “Very well,” she said. She began to leave, but then stopped and turned back around. “And Adora?”

“Yeah?” Adora said, her heart in her throat.

“You mustn’t worry about Catra out-performing you. She is nothing compared to you. She is nothing on her own.”

Adora winced but tried to not to show it. Shadow Weaver left as abruptly as she had arrived.

Gently, wordlessly, Adora climbed back into bed on the top bunk. She found Catra there, curled into a ball, still completely under the covers.

“Hey,” Adora said as she heard the unmistakable quiet sobs. “Shhh. I’m here. I’m here.”

“T-that’s the problem,” Catra said. “She’ll never… she’ll never see me…”

“Shhh,” Adora continued, snuggling closer. She held tighter than she ever had. “Shhhh, Catra. I see you. I see you. She doesn’t matter.”

“I j-just want it all to stop. T-that’s why I… got the catnip.”

“I know. I know.”

Catra finally revealed herself from the covers, her face stained with tears. She leaned into Adora again, voice quiet and childlike.

“I’ll never be what she wants me to be.”

Adora stroked her hair and pressed her to her chest. “You’re everything, Catra.”

“You’re j-just saying that to make me feel better.”

Adora was surprised to realize that tears were running down her own cheeks. “No, Catra. I love you. I love you, you stoned-off-your-ass cat.”

“I love you too,” Catra said, her voice barely a whisper. “Always have.”

“I… I know.”

They laid there for a few minutes, pressed as tightly as possible, until Catra finally looked up.

“Thanks for covering for me,” she said earnestly. “If she’d found out about this… I’d have been kicked out of the Horde. Or worse.”

Adora winced, imagining the abuse. “I’ll never let her hurt you.”

“I actually believe you.”

Adora sighed and looked down. “Now, come on,” she said, already lowering herself to the bottom bunk. Catra sat up slowly, craving more of Adora’s touch. Her expression softened as she realized Adora’s intention.

She climbed down and met Adora on the bottom bunk, regarding the etched drawing of the pair for only a second. They settled into each other and pulled the covers over their entangled forms.

On any other night, Catra would have stayed up late after Adora, watching her serene form after she rested from a long day of kicking ass. Eventually she’d settle at the foot of the bed instead, closer to the door but farther from her love, just in case Shadow Weaver decided to make an appearance. Keeping watch. Standing guard.

But tonight, she was still coming down. So she snuggled closer to Adora, purred deeply, and fell into the deepest sleep she’d had in years.

**Author's Note:**

> This was requested on Tumblr by aliciachan-rp. Speaking of which, you should totally give me a follow @ hey-adora


End file.
